Play or game ball



Dec. 5, 1939. M. B. REACH PLAY OR GAME BALL Filed Nov. 50, 1937 Milion .B.Reack,

Patented Dec. 5, i939 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The invention relates to play or game balls and has for an object the provision of a construction providing rib or ridge portions projecting outwardly from a-layer of the carcass or body beneath the cover, edges of the cover being dis posed in proximity to the sides of said rib portions, and the outer faces of the rib portions being exposed and provided with a. recessed or channeled formation with the object of better control oi. the ball, Other objects will appear hereinafter, the invention comprising the features, combination and arrangement of parts as described and as particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawin Figure 1 is a view of the invention applied to one type of ball. 1 1 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the construction of the invention substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2a. is an enlarged view of a portion of the construction of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section view on line 33 of Fig, 1 showing the cross-section of the recessed rib.

Fig. 4 is a view of another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing. l represents the rib or raised portion extending above the carcass so or body a of the ball, the ribhaving a recess desirably inthe form of a groove orlchannel I a 'in the face thereof, for obtaining an improved control of the ball, which may be of any suitable type, theball shown being by way of example.

Y A cover or veneer 2, desirably of panels of leather orother suitable material, is applied with edges thereof substantially in abutting relation to the grooved ribs or raised portions I, and cemented or otherwise secured to the carcass or body 3' of the ball and with the -edges of the cover preferably cemented or otherwise secured to the sides of the rib or raised portions.

Preferably the rib maybe molded with thecarcase or body of the ball substantially in the manner described in my Patent No; 2,086,094, dated "July 6, 1937, having reference also to the method of molding and assemblyjlsclosed in my Patent No. 2,093,737, the form or shape of the rib and the recess or channel in its face, according to the present invention, being determined by the shape of the groove cut in the mold for forming therib. Although molding the recessed rib with the moldingof the layer of the carcass or body of ably molded may be made of rubber or rubber thereby, and may consist-of layers united into a 3 of ,the'ball, the mold may'be recessed to prbthe recess or groove can be otherwise formed as, for example, by cutting or grinding.

The depression or groove in the face of the rib may be of any desired shape or configuration and may be disposed throughout the extent of d the rib or in portions thereof as may be desirable to create an air recess or an air channel efie'ct for obtaining a control of the ball,

Desirably the recess formation in the rib is a channel and preferred forms are the angular m shaped groove or channel as shown in Fig. 3 or a; rounded shaped channel as indicated in Fig. 4. The air channels formed in the rib i may be said to create an aerial friction that helps to control the flight of the ball; and control of flight is also 15 contributed to by the firmer finger feel afforded by the channels, as particularly notable in the spiraling forward pass as employed in football.

The sides of the ridge or raised portion l and the edges of the 'cover or veneer of the covering 20 material, which is desirably of leather, are shaped to fit, and conform to each other in abutting relationship. The sides of the rib may be substantially straight and parallel and substantiallynormal to the surface of the rib and cover,- as 25 shown, or they may be of other shape. 1

The outer edge portions of the rib or raised portion I are preferably substantiallyflush or even withthe outer surfaces of the adjoining cover 2, although it will be apparent that the rib may be 30 made to project beyond the surface of the cover as may be desired.

The carcass 3 with which the ridge is prefercompound as indicated in Fig. 51 or of laminations 35 of balloon cloth as indicated in Fig. 3 impreg nated with rubber cement and united together homogeneous structure throughout, or it may consist of cement 'or rubber impregnated can- 40 vas of patterns sewed together to produce the desired shape of the ball and submitted'to a molding operation, or the carcass may be built up upon a suitable form.

In molding the'rib I with the carcass or body duce the desired shape of recess in the rib, and the rib material, which preferably is a'mixture of fibrous material and rubber, is inserted in the 5 mold recesses or channels and ln-the process of 'vulcanizing, the carcass and the, rib' or ridge become integrally united. Preferably the shape ofthe mold recess or recesses determines the shape of the recess 01' re- Y may have a bladder 4 of rubber, or it may be cap 2a of covering material adjoins the cover panels 2 and caps the ball end. The cap 211 may of solid type such asin my patent above menfio While the invention is shown in connection with a foot ball it may be embodied in other forms of balls.

A desirable end construction for the type of ridge. portion thereon and projecting outwardly ball chosen to illustrate the invention may comprise a suitably shaped end piece 5 of rubber or other suitable material which overlies the bladder 4 and which is covered by the body or carcass 3 of the ball. The veneer cover panels 2 may desirably terminate short of the ends of the ball, and a suitably shaped and constructed be formed froma piece of leather or the like, having notches or cuts in its edge as at 6 which facilitate the shaping of the cap.

I claim:

'1. In a play or game ball, a bodyportion, a ridge portion thereon projecting outwardly from the body portion, said ridge portion having a recess in its outer face, and a covering layer having edges substantially abutting the sides of said recessed ridge portion, said recess being exposed between the edges of said covering layer and extending inwardly within the outer surface of the covering layer.

2. In a play or game ball, a body portion, a ridgeportion thereon and projecting outwardly from the body portion, said'ridge portion'having a recess in its outer-face, and a covering layer having edges substantially abutting the sides of said recessed ridgeportion, the outer edges of a the ridge portion being substantially flush with 40 the adjoining outer surface of the cover.

3. In a play or game'ball, a body portion, a

ridge portion thereoii, and projecting outwardly nally thereof, and a covering layer having edges substantially abutting the sides of said channeled n'dge portion, said channel being exposed between the edges of said covering layer and extending inwardly within the outer surface of the covering layer.

4. In a play or gameball, a body portion, a

from the body portion, said ridge portion having a channel in its outer face extending longitudi-.

nally thereof, and a covering layer having 'edges substantially abutting the .sides of said channeled ridge portion, the outer edges of the ridge portion being substantially flush with the adjoining outer surface of the cover.

5. A play or game ball having a-body portion and having a ridge portion molded integrally with saidbody portion and projecting outwardly therefrom, said ridge portion having a recess molded in its outer face, and a covering layer applied to said body portion with edges of said covering layer substantially abutting the sides of-said recessed ridge portion, the outer edges of the ridge portion being substantially flush with the adjoining outer surfaceof the cover.

6. A play or game ball having a body portion and having a ridge portion molded integrally with said body portion and projecting outwardly therefrom, said ridge portion having a channel molded in its outer face, extending'longitudinally thereof, and a covering layer applied to said body MJ'ILTON n. REACH. 

